The “BJ Penn Rule” Instituted in Nevada
Greasegate has made its first imprint on the Nevada State Athletic Commission rulebook. In a meeting held Wednesday in Las…
Greasegate has made its first imprint on the Nevada State Athletic Commission rulebook.
In a meeting held Wednesday in Las Vegas, the NSAC approved language prohibiting the use of foreign substances on a fighter’s body prior to or during a fight that could result in an unfair advantage.
Dubbed by a commission official as the B.J. Penn Rule, the use of foreign substances will now be added to a list of fouls in the Nevada Administrative Code that address tactics illegal to fighters, such as eye gouging, small joint manipulation, or biting.
Controversy surrounding the use of Vaseline at UFC 94 threatened to overshadow welterweight champion St. Pierre’s dominating fourth round win over lightweight champion Penn.
Penn’s lawyer, Raffi Nahabedian, was present at the meeting and said the change was an important step in preventing future controversy.
The rule change is great because it’s better than nothing, Nahabedian told MMAWeekly.com afterwards. The official can now make the assessment that this is a foul. So it’s even better than before.
Nahabedian also suggested a rule during the meeting that would provide fighters with a commission-supervised shower prior to their bouts.
